The Predatory Person
HE/SHE IS HERE.....................WATCHING..........READY TO POUNCE
IN THE PECKING ORDER, HE/SHE IS THE HUNTER............
TOTALLY AMORAL........NOT CONCERNED ABOUT RIGHT OR WRONG & UNCONCERNED ABOUT OTHERS........OTHERS ARE NOTHING TO HIM/HER
Here HE/SHE Comes.........LOOKING Everyone Over........ Deciding Who Is Going To Be HIS/HER B%#@!H!
The human environment can be quite complex and perilous at times. Oftentimes, the human environment can be equated to being in a jungle. Well, the human environment can be jungle of sorts. Each day all of us face our respective environments, whether it is academic, corporate/work, marital/familial, neighborhood/ community, and/or church/spiritual. Each environment has its own individual consensus, rules to abide by, and its individual pecking order.
Even though we purport that idealistically and ethically that there should be equality among humankind, reality presents quite a different premise. Throughout history, there were/are always people who either try, attempt, and/or forcefully establish their dominance over those who they perceive to be weaker either emotionally, intellectually,physically, psychologically, and/or other related factors. Civilizations were built and oftentimes destroyed based on this premise.
There were/are those in history who staunchly portended that might equals power equals right. Look at our historical figures such as Julius Caesar, Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan, Ivan the Terrible, Frederick the Great, and Napoleon among others. These men were quite predatory in their nature and believe strongly in their might and power. They valued their power immensely and were not hesitant to use their power to dominate others.
Historical figures are not the only people who believe that strength gives one carte blanche and power over others. There are nonhistorical and noncelebrated people who believe and practice the same premise. In essence, many of us adhere to the pecking order in life. For instance in some familial environments, it is the husband and/or father who establishes dominance and preeminence over the rest of the family members. Yes, there are some men who staunchly portend that they as the head of their household can treat their wives/significant others and children as nonentities because in their estimation, they are not important members in the household.
These men believe that since they earn most of the money or have a job, they are the only ones who should have license and the other members of the family are totally unimportant. Other such men routinely dominate their wives/significant others and children into their methodology, squashing what individuality and opinion they have. As one famous television character is fond of saying that he is the unmitigated king of his castle and his wife is a total nonentity who is there to do his bidding so to speak.
Many people believe that because they have power, others are just inconsequential elements in their game and world. These people believe that because of their status in life whatever it may be, others are quite inferior to them and what occurs to them are of no consequence whatsoever. In other words, people are pawns to such people.
What makes people predatory? From childhood, we are inculcated with the value that to be strong is good and to be vulnerable is bad. Even in the school playground, it is the stronger child who is respected. Other children see this stronger child and either emulate, fear, and/or quiet admire him/her for his/her strength, cunning, and/or other related characteristics.
Bullies are classified as predatory children. It is their premise that to be strong and invincible is good and to be weak is for wimps and suckers. Bullies respect strength and often disrespect those whom they deem to be weaker. Bullies often have their fans such as bystanders and friends who revel in the power that they exhibit..
Yes, many of us have been taught the premise that it is to conquer/eat/ devour or to be conquered/ eaten/ devoured. There are those of us who chose the former. To be more vulnerable in this society is often not rewarded. Those who are more vulnerable and empathetic are usually denigrated and derided as weak, wimpy, and/or other pejorative names.
To be ruthless is often valued in this society. Look at the culture of the corporate raiders who periodically buy corporations. CEOs who routinely outsource their businesses overseas, often being unconcerned about how their actions affect their employees. Cooperative managers and landlords who raise people's rents to prohibitively expensive heights, being unconcerned if some of their tenants become homeless in the process. Yes, ruthless is the name of the game and business as usual in this postmodern corporate society. The premise is that winner takes all and uses it as he/she pleases without considering the consequences of his/her actions upon others.
In fact, the predatory person is totally unconcerned about how his/her actions affect others. He/she believes immensely in his/her so-called power and might. It is his/her premise that because of this supposed power, other people within his/her purview are either insignificant nonentities or just mere cogs in his/her universe. Yes, this person maintains that others exist merely for his/her use and/or pleasure.
A prototype of this is Captain Bligh, a character in the movies MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY and THE BOUNTY. His character exemplifies the predatory person. He portends that because of his rank, he is indeed powerful which translates into believing that he is right. He considered his subordinates to be fodder and cogs for him to use and treat anyway he wishes. He is often capricious and tyrannical in the treatment of his men, almost starving and applying harsh and unusual punishments to them are just merely an exercise to exert his power by any means necessary!
Another case in point was a former supervisor who often claimed that the people she supervised were utterly stupid and had no rights. She viewed her staff as means to accomplish her goals. When she was congratulated upon getting the work out, she never thanked the staff, often taking credit for their accomplishments. It was nothing for her to verbally and emotionally abuse her subordinates. When she was spoken to about this, she responded that all good supervisors do such to their employees, adding that in fact, such treatment is welcomed among them!
The underlying premise in the predatory person's personality is the utter, cold, and ultimate use of that magic word. Yes, that magic word is P-O-W-E-R! Power is the be and end all in the life of the predatory person. Let us be more succinct regarding this premise. Power is the LIFEBLOOD of the predatory person.
The predatory person must be on top of his/her game and the master of his/her environment whatever it may be. He/she wants to be first in everything. According to the ethics of the predatory person, either a person is a winner or he/she is well.............nothing of no consequence! The last thing the predatory person wants to be is a persona non grata. He/she wants to be the conqueror of his/her universe and/or world.
Of course that being said, the predatory person is totally fearless in the use of his/her power. In fact, he/she can be quite unapologetic in using power. Many predatory people know how to use power in ways many of us do not and/or cannot. The concept of exploiting and using others to obtain one's ends and/or ambitions often repulse many of us. However, it does not repulse them. They portend that using and exploiting people as part of the game for success and/or survival. In other words, YOU do WHAT you have got to do- no ifs, ands, and/or buts!
Many predatory people do succeed and admirably. However, many more come to quite disastrous ends. In other words, many predatory people receive their due desserts or as others may say, receive their just karmic rewards.
Many ruthless and predatory people end up in jail e.g. Ivan Boesky, the insider and corporate raider, and Bernie Madoff, the investment scammer. There are many predatory supervisor and bosses who are often terminated from their jobs for unethical behavior. Other predatory people receive what others call, street justice. Yes, it often does not pay to exploit and use others. What we do often comes back to haunt us. In other words, what goes around, comes around.
In summation, humankind has been playing upmanship and games of dominance from time immemorial. There are those among us who portend that because of their might and power, they have the unmitigated right to treat other people as they see fit because they are deemed to be somewhat "lesser." Many predatory people are often unmoved about how their actions impact on others. Their main concern is winning their specific prize by any means necessary! If others are hurt in the process, their attitude is SO BE IT! However, such selfishness and ruthless often comes with a karmic price. Many predatory people oftentimes fall from their pedestal and oftentimes they fall hard. Well, that is the reward for being ruthless and totally unconcerned with the welfare of others.
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© 2012 Grace Marguerite Williams